


The Rune King

by ShadowOfTheNight



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Background Relationships, Background Wolfstar, Fluff, Forced Marriage, Harry Potter was Raised by Remus Lupin and Sirius Black, M/M, Minor Sirius Black/Remus Lupin, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sassy Harry Potter, Tags May Change, background romione, reference to rape in a later chapter, snarry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-14
Updated: 2018-07-20
Packaged: 2019-05-23 03:49:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14926565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowOfTheNight/pseuds/ShadowOfTheNight
Summary: Harry is a thief that works in magical runes stealing where he can and trying (sometimes) to do good with it.  Until he gets caught and stuck in a marriage that he's not entirely sure he wants out of.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so bad at tagging things guys, so if you see something that needs a tag please let me know

The Rune Thief paused at the doors of the throne room and eyed them from top to bottom.  He squinted and touched a small squiggly rune on the side of the goggles he wore, and his spell sight flared to life.  With a satisfied nod, he eyed the doors again, using this sight to search for any alarms.

When the shuffling of a guard patrolling the corridor sounded behind him, he wrapped his cloak tightly around his thin frame and slipped into a darkened alcove. As the guard passed by his hiding spot he didn’t dare to even breathe until the guard had passed.  Once the echoing footsteps retreated, he returned to his contemplation of the door.

His lips stretched into an easy grin when he finally saw the alarm spell in the top right corner.  Quickly slipping to the wall he used his finger to draw a circular rune with two lines slashed through it on the surface. He touched the palm of his left hand to the rune and then quickly did the same for his right.  Nodding to himself he knelt and did the same near the floor, touching the toes of his soft slippers to the runes on the wall before he used them to ascend hand over hand up the wall.

At the top of the wall, he tapped the spell in a few places and quickly scrawled his disabling rune, a V shape with a small circle inside of it, over the alarm rune. After another smug smile he dropped with a catlike grace and slipped inside the now open door of the throne room. He quickly pressed himself against a darkened wall just inside, eyeing where the moonlight spilled onto the floor and partly onto a small, jeweled chest.

He breathed a deep sigh of relief and skittered across the floor, reaching hungrily for the chest when the torches along the walls flared to life. He froze, hands outstretched, heart thundering in his ears.  The spellsight faded in the light and he blinked at the sight on the throne in front of him.

The man on the throne peered down at him frowning before it turned into, from what he could tell, a genuine smile.  “Well done,” he said, and clapped.

The thief relaxed, long enough to bow floridly, before he made a break for the window and ran headlong into a shield spell.  He shook his head to clear it and glared up at the man on the throne.

“ _That_ was not so well done.”  The man laughed at him, “Did you really think I would let you loose, now that I have you trapped where I want you?”

The thief shrugged and started inching towards the door.  There were no guards in the room; he could make it back through quite easily.

The man, _King_ , his brain helpfully supplied, sighed and swung his legs up over the arm of his chair.  

“You have only two options, I’m afraid.”  He said in a bored voice, “You can either stay here, marry me, and become co-ruler at my side,” The King’s black eyes glittered and the thief did not trust that gaze, “Or,” he continued, “You can get hauled to the dungeon by my guards.”

  Raising his eyebrows he smiled and said, “I hear they are dreadfully cold and musty this time of year.” Pulling candle from a small box he set it up on the arm of his throne.  “You have until the candle runs out to decide.”

The thief considered his options and tried very hard to ignore the way the man’s sinuous voice flowed over him like water.  He knew he’d taken a risk breaking into the Palace of King Severus Snape. _I really ought to face the consequences for buggering this job up_. On the one hand, he was sure he could break out of any dungeon, but on the other… He could start making real changes.  He could make things better for him and his friends from the inside. _He’s not too bad looking either._  The Thief eyed the King up and down and opened his mouth with a grin, his voice saccharine, “What if I told you to go bugger yourself?”

King Severus blinked at him for a moment before he started to laugh and for some reason that laugh made the thief’s toes curl.“I would tell you no one but my consort is allowed to speak to me in such a manner.”

The thief pretended to muse on it for a few moments more before he sighed, “Fine.  If I want the joys of telling you to go bugger yourself without the joys of dungeon rats,” He pulled down the hood of his cloak and pushed his goggles up into his messy black hair.  “Fine.  You win.  Just,” he paused and fixed the man on the throne with a determined eye, “You don’t get to touch me.  I’ll sleep in the same room and present a united front to whomever you want but you _do not_ touch me.  I’ll slice you open if you do.”

The King just smiled that smile at him and he could feel the first vestiges of panic at his situation.  “Good,” The man practically purred.  “Very good.  Now,” he dropped one leg off the arm of his throne, “Do you have a name?”

“Harry, my liege.  No surname. Just Harry.”

“Well, Harry,” Severus said it slowly as if he were tasting the word, “You can have mine, and by all rights as my betrothed, may call me Severus.  None of this… liege nonsense.”

“Until there is a ring on this finger and I've acquired your last name, my King, you will continue to be my liege.” Harry grinned at him

Harry watched heat flare in the man’s eyes. “I do hope your prohibition doesn’t last too long.”

“I’m not giving up my freedom to be someone’s pet in golden chains,”  Harry replied with a challenging glare.

“I see…” the King mused.  He worried his bottom lip with his teeth a moment and Harry steeled himself for the inevitable order. But: “That is not what I offer, be at ease.  Return to your home and meet me back here in three days time for the ceremony.”  He smirked. “You may choose yourself how you wish to make an entrance.”  He steepled his long thin fingers.

“How do you know that I won’t just bugger off and never come back?” Harry asked, unable to stop himself. “Are you stupid?”

Severus actually laughed at him. “You’re a smart young man. Do you want me to threaten your family?  I can if you want.”

“Don’t have any family.” Harry mumbled.

“Well, in that case there’s not much I can do, is there?”  He hummed, “What about this, Harry.  You come back in three days, marry me, and I’ll give you unrestricted access to the warded royal library.”

Harry choked on his sharp inhalation.  “Are you serious?”

“As the plague.” Severus held up a hand.  “The magic on that place is so intrinsically tied to the throne that I knew you could not have made it in yet to pillage it for it’s magical tomes. Wed me and I will let you in.”

Harry clenched his teeth.  There went any hope of him running out on this. “Fine.  Fine,” he ground out and then ran from the room out the door he came through.

With a frustrated application of his forehead to the wall, he clambered back up to the ceiling and set himself up in a shadowed spot just inside the door. Harry watched from the shadows as his King, _and betrothed,_ some treacherous part of his mind whispered, paced around before yanking on a red bellpull and a red liveried servant came from a side door and bowed.

“You rang, your majesty?”

“Yes,” King Severus said, “I need you to wake the court Wizard and tell him to come here at once.”

“As your Majesty commands.”  The servant bowed again and scurried from the room.

Harry watched as not four minutes later a bespectacled and robed man with a very long beard bustled into the throne room.  “Severus,” he greeted with warmth, “Why call me out of my bed at this hour?”

Severus beamed.“I’m getting married in three days.  I need you to prepare the rituals, Albus.”

The old man beamed at Severus, “Finally, my boy.  Finally.  Who is the young noble that’s finally drawn your attention?”

Severus’ smirk grew. “Not a noble, Albus.  The Rune Thief was here tonight.”

Silence.

“You caught him?”  Albus asked after several very tense minutes. “And why the shift in subject?”

“You're usually much more on top of these things, old friend.”

Albus gaped at him for a few moments. “Severus, you cannot be serious.”

“When have you known me to be jovial, Albus?” Severus contradicted himself with a laugh. “He has agreed and will be back in three days’ time for the ceremony.” Harry spotted a small, wistful smile.  “After all this time of seeking him, he has agreed to be mine. I cannot wait until I can sit him down and talk with him and worship him the way he deserves.”

Harry blushed hot and fierce under his goggles and hood. He nodded to himself, not needing to hear more as he slipped away into the night.

Once he was out on the streets, another small rune stitched into his clothes gave them the illusion of peasants’ garb and he ran home, feet pounding the cobbles and gasping at the cold air until he thought his lungs would burst. The stone buildings all around him blurred as he let his feet carry him home.

When the abandoned cathedral that he called home finally came into view, he slowed, breathing hard.  His thoughts whirled and tumbled around each other so much that he didn’t even notice there was someone waiting for him until he ran headlong into their chest.

“Pup!” His godfather peered down at him, concerned.  “Are you all right?  You never lose yourself like this.”  Then he paused.  “Did you get it?”

Harry laughed, the noise bubbling out of him in half hysterical sobs, “No, no I didn’t.”

“What’s wrong?!”  Sirius framed Harry’s face with his hands and searched his eyes.

“Hush, Sirius.” Remus startled Harry with how quiet he’d come up to them from the side. “Do not stress him even more.”

“I didn’t get it,” Harry muttered, “And I have to go back in three days.”

“What, why?”  Remus asked.

“The king caught me,”  Harry mumbled, “And he only let me go because I agreed to marry him.”

The silence that followed after his last statement deafened him. He flinched when he thought about the inevitable explosion when Sirius finally worked through what was happening.

Sirius made a strangled noise and flexed his fingers in a very suggestive manner.  “I’m going to kill him,”  he said very quietly.

Harry’s eyes flew open in panic and he shook his head frantically.  “You _can’t_.  This is my chance to change things, to make him listen!”

“You have no idea _what_ he is capable of, Harry!” Sirius snarled.  “You have no idea how long that man has been in cahoots with,” Harry watched him take a deep breath, cutting off what he was going to say.  “He’s not a good man, Harry.  The four of us… Me, Remus, and your parents were once part of the court and he,” Sirius’ voice had grown louder, “He’s _evil_.  You have to understand that.  He’s not going to let you change anything!  He’s the one that did this to us!  Snivillus might as well not be human.  He’s a block of stone!”

“You know, dearest,” Remus interjected with a wince, “you must admit the country has gotten better with Severus in charge of things.  He has Albus and Minerva to advise and help him, after all.”

“Oh yes,” Sirius bit at the words like a dog biting meat from a bone, “He has two old and powerless aristocrats to help him with the peasantry.  Yes, I’m feeling so relieved!” He tugged at his long, dark hair in frustration.

Harry inched away from the two of them, eyes narrowed.  This was not at all like he had planned tonight to go.

“Dearest,” Remus said again, soft and gentle.  “Do think, will you?  Once Harry is married to the King you, as family, will have immunity because I have a… feeling, if you will, that Severus does not want to harm him.”  He turned to Harry, “What did he say to you?”

Harry laughed. “I told him to go bugger himself, at first.  Then I told him that I wasn’t going to be a pet on a golden chain and he told me that he would never do that.”  Harry sighed, shoulders slumping with weariness.  “He said he wouldn’t.  Besides,” he grinned, “I can always get free if life becomes too unbearable.  I’m the best there is.”

Sirius looked to Harry as if he were going to argue more and then he sighed. “I’ll trust your wolfish instincts, love.”  Then he perked up as the full impact of Remus’ words sank in.  “Immunity you say?  Does this mean I can prank him and make his life miserable and get away with it?”

Harry rolled his eyes as Remus laughed and kissed his mate’s cheek.  “That’s exactly what it means.  Just make sure you don’t go too far.  I’m sure Harry will only be able to have _so much_ influence on what happens.”

“I’m sure you both overestimate my influence here, _Snuffles_.” Harry grinned at his godfather.  

“I’m wounded, pup.”  Sirius pressed the back of his wrist, palm out, to his forehead and swooned a bit, leaning on Remus.  “You catch me snuggling with my mate and this is the punishment I have to endure?”

“You were cuddling him in wolf form with your nose buried in his fur.  You deserve it.”  Harry laughed.  “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I really need to go tell Ron and Hermione.”

“Tomorrow, Harry,” Remus shook his head.  “It's late, and you need sleep.  Go up to bed and we’ll be up soon.”

“After you two get done snogging like teenagers,” Harry muttered. “Fine, fine.  I’m twenty years old and I’m still getting bullied and mothered.  I see how it is.”  He gave them both a mocking salute before he scurried up the rope that led to the bell tower and his “room.”  Once there he curled up in the massive pile of pillows that served as his bed thinking of a way to keep from getting caught again.

Harry grabbed his notebook full of runes and scribbled a few things into the margins. Taking a pillow and placing it in front of him he drew a rune for silence (a triangle) and drew a rune for sight (a crossroads) over top of it.

The runes glowed red for a moment before the pillow fabric went see through.

He let out a whoop of satisfaction before cancelling the rune mashup.  The feathers were still visible inside of the pillow, but he was off to a good start.  If this worked, he could embroider the rune directly into the cloak Remus said his father had left him.

If it worked.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The slight reference to rape is in this chapter, also! I planned on posting it yesterday and I forgot!

The day dawned bright and clear with a few faint wispy clouds accenting the bewitching blue of the sky.  Harry dressed quickly before he slid down the rope and out the door into the daily market.

The area bustled with activity as vendors stood or reclined behind their stalls. Their children paced in front of the wooden frames calling out the virtues of their wares and why these wares were better than the vendor down the road.

Harry visited his favorites first, smiling at the Lovegoods as he sampled their baked goods and bowing to the Patil twins as they modeled the clothing their father and mother made.  He bought a few new silk scarves from them today.

“The technique to make these has been passed down through my family for generations.”  Merchant Patil intoned.

“Really?”  Harry asked like he did every day, enjoying the look of delight on the patriarch’s face as he launched into a story smattered with “You can’t tell that, papa.  Family secret,” from either his wife or one of his daughters, after which he would blush and mumble a moment before he went right back to storytelling.

A hand clapped Harry on the back, and he stared up into the blue eyes of his best friend.

“Ah, hello, Captain Weasley.” The merchant stumbled over his words. Authority figures had a tendency to do that to master Patil.

“Sorry, Merchant Patil. I need to have a word with Harry, here.” Ron flashed them a grin that had the twins blushing and steered Harry away from the group and into a more secluded alleyway behind one of the permanent shops.

Harry shuffled his feet. “Did I take something that the charities needed again?” he asked, stalling.

He stared, appalled at the disappointment and growing disgust on his friend’s face. “No Harry, we have a bigger problem than that.” Then the look was replaced with a grin and a guffaw. “You're getting married to the King!” Ron giggled gleefully and rubbed his hands together. “Oh, this is too rich.”

“You berk!” Harry punched him right in the armor clad shoulder. “You made me think I was in trouble! You're a right ass.”

“Worth it,” Ron said piously, his face almost as red as his hair from laughing so hard.

“Uh huh. Will you think it's worth it when I steal the ring you're getting for Hermione and give it to her myself?” Harry gave his friend the stink-eye.

“You wouldn't!” Ron gasped dramatically. “I've been working for ages on saving for that.”

“You're right. I would never do that to her.”

“To _her_ ,” Ron protested. “But mate, I’m your best mate!”  He clutched at his hauberk clad chest, affecting a wounded expression.

Harry rolled his eyes and ground his toe into the hard packed dirt of the alley, “Yeah, a real best mate wouldn’t tease me about living a life in shackles.”

Ron snorted. “Oh please.  You’re not going up there to live a life in shackles.  You’ll be out the moment he tries anything with you and I know it.  And he does too.” Ron pursed his lips. “He’s very intrigued about how you’re going to present yourself at the ceremony. It’s all the servants are gossiping about right now.  Not to mention he’s been nattering on at father about it, not really something you should be blabbering about to your head General though.”

“As The Rune Thief, of course.”  Harry frowned.  “Shall I just waltz in, or shall I make an entrance?”

Ron’s forehead creased in thought.  “You’re going to want to show them that you really _are_ the Rune Thief.  Make an entrance.  Do what you do best.”

“You mean steal everything out from under their noses?”

“Exactly.”

Harry laughed.  “Well, oh tactics genius, advise me on where people are going to be sitting and who to hit first.”

Ron’s ears went a bit pink.  “I’m not a genius, Harry.  It’s just… some kind of instinct.  I can see the layout, see how things are going to play out and-”

“Utterly destroy seasoned generals in games of Chess, Hounds and Hares, and even the foreign contingent that stayed last year at their own game of Go, after you learned how to play.”  Harry spread his hands, “Genius.  Even _they_ were delighted to see your skills.  Anytime I’m in the palace I hear them bragging about you.  Don’t sell yourself short.”

The flush that began in Ron’s ears crept down his face and neck, “You can’t just say things like that, mate.  That’s not what happened, I just got lucky, is all.”

Harry sighed and rolled his eyes again, “Fine.  If you insist on thinking that way. Now, are you going to tell me where everyone is sitting?”

“This is how things are usually set up, I filched a few ancient seating charts from the Quartermaster. Well, the court nobles are going to be sitting on the left, with the royal advisors in the front row to act as the King’s family.”

“He doesn’t have any?” Harry asked, surprised.

“Not a one,” Ron replied.  “I think they all died in the war before he ascended the throne or something. Anyway, the second and third rows will have the lords and ladies of the major houses with the fourth through sixth rows being the minor houses.”

“So I should probably hit the advisors and the major houses then first?”

Ron nodded.  “On the right side would normally be your family, but father told me he said you don’t have any, so there will be a contingent of guards to make sure the nobles don’t get rowdy. You know how nobles get when there’s wine involved.”

“With you leading them?”

“Actually, father _and_ I will be there.  I’m there to observe, father is there to actually do at the work.” Ron grinned viciously, “I have permission to make as many arrests as I feel necessary to keep them in line, though.”

Harry clapped him on the back.  “Good!  They’re finally putting you in charge where you belong!”

“Ah, Harry, now don’t start that again.”

 “Ron, you’re my dearest friend, but sometimes your humility is a burden. Besides, I’m sure you’ll be promoted soon against your wishes anyway.”  Harry grinned, waved his fingers at Ron, and dashed off.  He laughed as Ron’s shouts echoed behind him until he was sure that he’d lost his friend in the maze of alleys and shops. He made a mental note to speak to Severus about getting Ron placed somewhere that his talents could flourish.

Harry skidded to a halt outside of a school, his old school, and slipped inside the front door.  He waved cheerfully at the faculty at the desk and, whistling, wandered through the marbled halls looking for a specific room.

Lurking outside the door, Harry watched the class being taught until a bell tone began to peal out from the towers near the back of the institution.  Harry stepped out of the way of the flood of students before he slipped inside on unheard feet.

On silent feet, he crept up behind his _very_ bushy haired and dark skinned friend, reading an essay over her shoulder. “Man,” he said, “Not even mine were this bad.”

His friend let out a very undignified shriek, jumped violently, and whirled around to face him.  “Harry! How many times have I told you to stop doing that!” She swatted his arm.

“Ow! Hermione, quit it!” Harry jerked out of the way of another swing. “How can I help myself when you act like this every single time?”

She fisted her hands on her hips and fixed him with a steely gaze. “I _know_ that you have self control.  It's what gets you home safe every night instead of-”

“Okay, okay.” Harry held his hands up to shush her. “All right.  You win.  You’re right, I do have more self control than that.  But sometimes I just can’t help myself.” He scrunched up his nose and squeezed his eyes shut a moment before opening them again.  “Case in point, did you hear the King is marrying The Rune Thief?”

Hermione stared at him, slack-jawed and eyes wide. Her eyes flickered over to look at the door before she darted over to it and closed it.  Then she rounded on him again with her back pressed to the door.  “Did you say what I just thought you said?”

Harry laughed and scratched at the back of his head. “Yeah.  I kinda did.”

“And _how_ exactly did this come about?”  Her glorious brown eyes blazed and Harry could see his life flashing before his eyes.

He coughed uncomfortably.  “I heard from a palace guard that he managed to get caught in the throne room going after the chest the King keeps in there.  The King gave him a choice, marriage or the dungeons. He chose marriage.”

He watched her ire evaporate and she pulled him into a hug.  “Oh, oh no.”

He sighed into her shoulder and returned the hug.  “It's not that bad, ‘mione.  Think of all the things I could change?”

“What do you mean?”

He pulled away. “Think about it.  How many times have you wanted classroom repairs? Better teaching materials? Classroom access for kids who can’t afford it here?”

Her gaze unfocused and she nodded. “Perhaps you can change things.” She took a small tendril of her wild, loosely coiled ringlets and brought it to her lips to chew on it thoughtfully.

“Stop that.” Harry pulled it out of her hand.

“Don’t tell me what to do.” She started nibbling on the lock of hair again.  Then she removed it from her mouth of her own volition and stared him down.  “You’re doing this for us?” She asked him, her voice laced with concern.

Harry coughed uncomfortably.  “Well,” he started.

“Spit it out,”  she told him sternly.

“He’s not bad looking,” Harry blurted and then cringed.  “He’s not bad looking, and living in the palace will be more comfortable than living in the belfry of an abandoned church. I’m doing this mostly for myself, but I can still use this to change things for the better.”

She turned away from him and side-eyed him so hard that he could almost _feel_ the heat in it before she sighed and threw her arms around him in another hug. “Just be careful, Harry.  I don’t want you getting too deep into something that you can’t handle.”

He nodded.

“Tell me all about what happened,” she demanded, steering him over to a chair. “I want to know all the details.”

Harry laughed and began to tell her exactly what had happened the night before.  She nodded along, listening and occasionally asking questions.  When he got to the part where he started to make his demands she clapped her hands over her mouth.  “Hermione?”

She made a noise that sounded like a strangled laugh before she pulled her hands away from her mouth. “You honestly told him that he wasn’t allowed to touch you?” Her eyes danced with mirth.  “Oh, Harry.  He never would have done that anyway.  You heard how the law used to shrug their shoulders at marital rape, right?  Well, the King found out about it when a noble’s wife came to him with a petition, and all of the judges involved were replaced and a new law drafted overnight.  He very much got the better bargain here, I’d say.  All of the ‘concessions’ you pulled out of him were no less than he would have done in the first place.”  She smirked.  “You got played for a fool, Harry.”

Harry thought about that for a moment.  “All right,” he said with a lopsided smile.  “That’s fine with me.  If that was how he planned on treating me to begin with, I suppose that will make the job of getting him to do the other things I want fairly easy.”

She nodded. “Look, just do what you can,” she said seriously. “Things aren’t so bad here. We can make it just fine even if nothing changes.  Ron and I make enough.”

He grinned at her.  “Oh, so this is going to be a permanent arrangement?  Where’s the ring, I don’t see one?”

She frowned at him, looking so much like one of their teachers that he had to laugh. “That’s not funny.  You know I don’t need a ring to know that he wants to make things official between us.  I’ll not have you harassing him about getting a ring, either.  I don’t need one.” She folded her hands as if that made the decision final.

“Well, in that case,” Harry stood up with a show of regret, “I’ll just have to put back the one that I stole for him, then shall I?”

She pressed her lips together and gave him a thin smile. “If I find out that you’ve actually done that, Harry, then I promise you that you won’t live to get married in two days.”

He held up his hands defensively.  “Relax, ‘mione.  It was just a joke.  Besides,” he stretched and traced a glowing rune that looked almost like a kite shield in the air in front of him, “You wouldn’t be able to hit me anyway.”  Harry said with a grin.  “I’ve got to run, going to leave His Majesty a note congratulating him on conning the con artist. I’ve got a new Rune that I want to try out.”

“Go on, then.  And stay out of trouble!”  Hermione propped her hands on her hips, “And stop wasting your energy like that! I know you have more than most, but what if you need it?”

Harry shrugged and then scurried from the room.


	3. Chapter 3

Severus refrained from yawning in the face of the ambassador from his former master’s neighboring country. The man would not stop droning on and on about an alliance of some kind and some sort of trade agreement that would give them some sort of tax exemption.  The low light of afternoon spilled in from the same window that the moon had the night before and Severus’s thoughts were wandering to that of his betrothed.

“So you see, Severus,” the man was concluding, “This arrangement would benefit the people of both our nations by strengthening our ties and making the both of us very wealthy.”  He had a smug smile on his face.

Severus finally  _ did _ yawn. “Nott,” he said calmly, “you’ve been presenting the same treaty to me for the last six months couched in different language each time.  My answer is the same as it’s always been.” 

He drawled, “No, I will  _ not _ give Melvron preferred trade status and exemption from all taxes when bringing goods to Hogsmeade. Nor,” he continued, “will I marry the child of the King, especially seeing as she is still in her cradle and her mother died in birthing her under mysterious circumstances.”

Nott’s face went pasty and Severus took some satisfaction in that his old schoolmate was likely in a lot of trouble at yet another rejection.  “But, Severus-”

“You will address me by either King Severus or His Majesty, Nott,” Severus cut him off.  “I am not your friend despite our shared past.” 

Nott made a peculiar choking noise before he bowed and withdrew from the room.  The long walk from the petitioner’s stone to the door seemed to make the humiliation worse.

Severus sighed and slumped in the throne for moment until a letter dropped into his lap.  A laugh, low and dark, sounded by his left ear, and he raised an eyebrow. He would not show his guest how that noise caused his heart to race. 

“I’m not staying long,” the voice next to his ear said. “Read it.  That will explain everything.”

And then the presence was gone.  Severus’ hands trembled as he picked up the letter and read it while he waiting on his petitioners to arrive.

_ Congratulations. _

_ You’re very clever.  I suppose you didn’t get where you are by being an idiot, but neither did I.  I spoke to a very dear friend of mine who explained exactly how you conned me. _

_ You’re good. _

_ Very good. _

_ But I’m better, Severus.  You’ll have to do better than this if you want to keep me.  I’ll be here in two days, as promised. I know all about the seating arrangements too; be prepared for a show and make sure your guards don’t do anything stupid. _

_ See you soon. _

There was no signature, but of course he knew who had dropped it in his lap.  Severus’ lips curled into a slow smile. 

“My lord?”  a page asked him from the left.  “Your petitioners are here.”

“Ah yes.  Send them in.  Send them in.” He hastily stuffed the paper into a pocket of the robe he was wearing.  

“Severus?”  Albus raised both eyebrows and stepped forward from his position on Severus’ right. His position as advisor meant he had to be present at these official supplication meetings.

“My husband to be left me a letter,” Severus said under his breath. “I’ll explain later.”

“If you insist.” Albus stepped back, intent on trying to stay out of Severus’ way.

“I do.”  Severus straightened as the first citizen was escorted in by General Weasley.   The man seemed nervous, but he bowed respectfully, and Severus waved a hand at him to begin.

“My liege,” he started and then swallowed nervously, his gaze darting between Arthur Weasley and his King. “There has been a theft, my liege.”

“A theft you thought serious enough to bring to the crown?” Severus frowned.

The man in front of him looked like he would faint at the sight of that frown, but he fortified himself and spoke clearly. “Yes, my Lord.  It is the theft of a very old wine recipe. I had it locked away in a safe under some floorboards in my shop.” He hesitated. “The boards showed no signs of being torn up and there were scratchings on the boards as if they had been marked.”

“Ah,” Severus smiled, “I see now, why you wanted to bring this to me.”

“Yes, sir.  I was hoping that you had some lead on the Rune Thief’s whereabouts, and was also wondering if my name could be added to the list of people he stole from.”  The man twisted his hands around each other. “I heard from some of my neighbors that was something your lordship did for his victims.”

“Of course, my good man.  Of course. I can personally guarantee that when we find the stash of the Rune Thief, your recipe will be returned to you.” He cast a glance at General Weasley.  “And if we notice that your recipe is being used by any other wine merchants in the city then we will arrest them and take it back then, if they actually hired the thief to steal it in the first place.”

The man’s eyes lit up and he babbled out his thanks.

“General Weasley, escort him out and get his name.  I want us to be able to contact him if the recipe surfaces.”

Arthur saluted him and then led the still babbling man from the hall.  Several moments passed before he came back, this time with a new petitioner. 

The woman he brought in was bedecked in pink silks. Severus sneered.  He recognized her.

She peered up at him, condescension dripping from every pore.  “I  _ demand  _ that you tell the blacksmith that he is to cease his operations after the sun has gone down.   _ Some people _ are trying to sleep because they are very busy and hard working members of your majesty's government.”

Severus looked down at her, a carefully neutral expression on his face.  “You…  _ demand _ , Dolores?”

She sniffed at him.  “Of course I do. How else will I continue to provide you with the magnificent level of service that I have been?”

Severus rolled his eyes in a very unkingly fashion. “Dolores. You are anything but magnificent. You have called for the extermination of shifters, weres, even of children born with deformities. I have let you run your office the way you see fit because it keeps you out of my hair and out of the private lives of my citizens.”

She stared at him and he could see her face mottling red from the neck up, “How  _ dare _ you, I-” she stopped suddenly as the point of a spear barred her forward path.

“Not another word or step, madam,” Arthur said very calmly.

“You’re… dismissed, Dolores.  Go home, don’t come back. I’ll be appointing someone else to your position.”

“How  _ dare _ you!” she shrieked at him and attempted to advance before the spear in her chest forced her back.  “I won’t forget this!”

Severus yawned. “No, I rather expect you won’t.  Run along now, you’re starting to bore me.” He watched her turn a rather interesting shade of purple before she stormed out.  “Arthur, make sure all of her things are thrown on the trash heap. I don’t want anything of hers left here.” Then he eyed the man in front of him.  “Arthur?”

“Yes, milord?” 

“Stop that,” Severus said irritably.  “You know I hate that when we’re not in any formal setting.”

Arthur just smiled at him, “Of course, milord Severus.”

“You’re impossible.” Severus groaned.  “Fine. What I wanted to ask you, before the next supplicant, is if you would like to join my King’s Guard.”

“Excuse me?”

“King’s Guard, Arthur, do keep up.  Your talents are irreplaceable as a member of my personal Guard as long as you are willing to learn their secrets.  There is a raise, of course, your talents and loyalty are wasted where you are.” He smile a thin smile, “Besides, I’m sure your youngest son will be in your former position before too long.  Especially if he keeps trouncing my other generals in the war games.”

Arthur stared at him, and Severus started thinking that perhaps he had made a mistake. “I accept, but Milord, I’m a General, I work with the army as a whole.  This is something completely different for me.” 

“Good,” Severus’s breath exploded from him in relief.  “Good.” After a pause, “That I do know, Arthur. You will be trained and the leader of my guard will be more than happy to make sure of that.”  Then he raised his eyebrows. “You know my King’s Guard isn’t allowed to be formal with me, right?”

Arthur laughed. “Then I’ll just have to get used to calling you Severus again, like I did when you were a lad.”

“You’re only ten years older than me, Arthur,” Severus reminded him and then he took a deep breath.  “King’s Guard,” he said in a clear, firm voice. 

All at once, seven armed guards appeared from the shadows and bowed towards Severus as a unit. Their leader, a muscular man with pleasant, regular features and skin the color of old leather took off his helmet. “Severus?”

“Kingsley, you know Arthur, don’t you?”  Severus smirked.

Kingsley chuckled, “Of course I do.  I’ll come get you after Severus is done speaking with the supplicants.  You have a lot to learn.” Then he turned to the rest of his men, “King’s Guard?” And they all melted back into the shadows.

“Well done,” Albus murmured from his position. 

“I know what I’m doing, Albus,” Severus snorted.  “The next petitioner?”

The young man that Arthur led in carried with him a sinuous self confidence. Severus appraised the young man’s wiry form and let his eyes drift to the petitioner’s.  When they locked eyes, Severus stopped himself from gasping aloud and made sure his face held an expression of bland indifference.

The eyes were the emerald eyes of the Rune Thief.

Severus sat up straighter and nodded coolly at his young betrothed.  His expression held indifference, but his eyes… The eyes that looked back at him recognized that he knew and dared him to say a word.  

“Milord, this is Harry.  He has a request to make regarding the warrant for a fugitive from before your ascension.”  Arthur stepped back after his announcement.

“Go on, then?  Who is this fugitive?”  Severus asked.

“Sirius Black,”  Harry said with a pugnacious bite to his words.  “He was declared an outlaw and a murderer, and even though the murderer has been identified as the advisor to… the other King, his name remains on the records.  Remove it.”

Severus watched Harry run his hand through his messy black hair in a seemingly nervous gesture.

Arthur looked as if he wanted to say something, to shush the young man, but Severus knew this was a challenge.  His betrothed wanted him to make good on his words, and though he bristled at the name ‘Black,’ Severus would not fail this challenge.  He held up a hand to forestall Arthur’s apologies. “Very well.” 

Both Harry and Arthur gaped at him. 

“What?  He has been exonerated, the killer identified… I am not a monster to keep an open warrant on someone who is not guilty of the crime he has committed.” Severus smirked.  “I will draw up a proclamation and have General Weasley deliver it to you. You may go.”

Harry stared hard at him for a moment, before he turned and walked away, muttering to himself.

“Why didn’t you bring this up before, Arthur?  Surely you know this man and would want him free?”

Arthur sighed. “Didn’t think you’d free his name, Severus.  You were awful to each other in years past.”

“Yes, well.” Severus waved a hand negligently. “I’m not the awful man I used to be, am I?  And I’m sure Black has changed… at least a little bit. What about you, Albus, why didn’t you tell me what was going on?”

Albus had the decency to look ashamed. “After the uprising so many people fell through the cracks,” he murmured. “I confess, I did not expect him to still be in this city.”

With a deep sigh and a hand pressed to his forehead, Severus pulled his gaze away from his advisor.  “You and I are going to have a long talk later Albus. For now, send in the next one.”

The next man hailed from the outskirts of the city, a small town two leagues out near a stretch of forest.  He bowed and then looked up, wringing his hands. “Milord. Your Majesty. We’ve been beset by wolves!”

Severus frowned, “Wolves?  That isn’t natural behavior.” He steepled his fingers together. “Tell me more.”

“Well,” the man coughed, “They’re up in the woods, mostly.  We’ve never had a problem until just recently.”

“Other than the obvious, anything else unusual?”

“They ain’t rabid.” The man said.  “We brought one down with a curse-rifle that one of the inscribers you sent our way made for us.  We checked the wolf for foaming and the still living ones didn’t seem to have a problem with water.  After a while they seemed to shake off whatever it was and flee into the woods again.”

Severus stroked his chin. “General, send some troops out and have them take a curse breaker with them. This sounds like something is controlling them but I want to be sure.”

“Of course, your Majesty.”

“Anything else, Goodman?”

“No, your Majesty.  Just the wolves. Thank you for your kindness.”  He bowed.

“Looking after my Kingdom is not kindness.  It's my duty.”

The man nodded again, and then left the room.

“What do you think it is?” Albus asked him in a quiet voice.

“Imperious,”  Severus said just as quietly. “It sounds like he’s finally making his move. Is that everyone?”

“Yes, Sire.” Arthur closed the door to the throne room.

Severus gave up on trying to get Arthur to call him by name. “Excellent.  I’m going to take a breather in the gardens for a bit.” Severus stood and stretched his back, popping several times. “Albus, I need that writ drawn up. Arthur, you are free to do as you please, I’m sure you want to share your promotion with your family.” He smirked and swept from the room.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a day late, yesterday was full of fireworks and food, sorries!

The wind was warm and floral as it raced through his gardens.  Plants of all kinds flourished here, mostly food related, as he funneled those into feeding programs for children. Some, however, were there just for him to look at. Flowers and plants that were forms of natural art.  Thickets of roses bloomed everywhere, riots of bursting colors scattered through the grounds. His favorite spot, a stone bench near a wall, was flanked by two such multi colored rose bushes.

“You’re a horrible person.”

Severus laughed and sat on the sun warmed stone bench right next to his betrothed, who huffed and glared at him.

“Now… what makes you say that?” he asked, voice silky smooth.

“You gave in too easily on that request, you know.  What’s your angle? Why did you accept and even make sure that it gets drafted so soon?” Suspicion laced Harry’s tone.

“Simply because you wanted it done,”  Severus said, folding his hands in his lap. “I told you.  This is not a cage. This is not a trap. Even though you have already accepted,” and he felt his heart squeeze at the thought, “you can say no.  I will let you go with no repercussions. I will keep my promise to  _ Harry _ .” 

Harry stared at him a moment more before he slouched in his seat. “No, no.  I made a promise too. You people in here with all your money and status don’t understand what normal people go through every day of their lives,” he said. “I can help you with that.  I can bring a bit of realism into your life.”

Severus frowned at him, “But anyone can come and present a complaint to the crown,” he said. “No one is turned away.”

“But you’re intimidating, yeah?” Harry cocked his head to the side. “You’re a very scary man.  Most people don’t even want to come by. You have a terrible temper and I’ve seen the way you use your words as weapons. I’m the Rune Thief, I know the palace like the back of my hand, except for the library that I can’t access.  I’ve seen _ you _ .”

Severus sat there, silent for a long moment.  He listened to the birds and wind as they blew through the interior of the garden. “It is very hard to change.  I have been angry and sour for far longer than I have been content and happy. It will not be easy for me to change.”

“You’re on the right track though,” Harry said and Severus could feel one gloved finger tracing over the back of his hand. “You’re listening to people.  You just have to listen more.”

Severus turned to look at him again. “Well.  Why don’t you tell me about how you became a thief then?  Tell me your story and I promise I’ll listen.”

He blinked in astonishment. “Are you serious?”

“I believe that’s the name of the man I had to pardon today, so no.”  Severus hid his grin.

“I hate you and you’re terrible.” Harry sighed. “All right.  I’ll tell you. I was about thirteen when this whole thing started.”  He counted off on his fingers. “We had been without food for about three months at that time.”  At Severus’ look he explained, “Look, we got the free food we could from the church but we really had nothing more than that.”  He twiddled his thumbs a bit.

“I’m not proud of this,” he admitted, “but I stole a book of runes from the library at the school and started experimenting in making my own. I made these goggles myself.” He tapped them with a forefinger. “I etched The Sight into them, I made them almost indestructible. Then I went out and stole food.”  

Harry wiggled his knee. “At first it was just food.  Then it was little trinkets from the rich that they had no use for that I could break apart and sell for money.  Then I started dealing in pre-stolen goods. I’m returning almost everything I steal to the original owners. They need it.  They need me. You’re not stopping me. Your people need me and I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing.” 

Severus sat quietly for a long moment. “Then do you even want to marry me as The Rune Thief?” he asked softly. “You could marry me as Harry and keep your identity secret so you can continue to help people.” 

Harry laughed.  “Oh, hell no. This way is going to be much more fun. I get to watch you  _ squirm _ when you try to explain my actions to people.  This is going to be  _ incredible _ and the best sort of revenge I can think of for trapping me in your throne room.”

Severus sneered at him and made no comment.

“Oh come on,” Harry wheedled. “You want to see everyone caught off guard as much as I do, admit it.” 

“I will admit no such thing, brat.”

Harry sniggered. “I’m the brat?  Mr Royalty calls  _ me _ a brat.  Oh, well done, Severus.”

Severus ignored the flush of warmth that crept through him at the mention of his name.  “Well,” he said, “You did interrupt me in the throne room and demand release for your godfather, you sassed me on the very night I held you captive, and you persist in this childish need for theatrics and melodrama.”

Harry stuck his tongue out at him, but fell silent for a moment anyway.  They sat together in the gentle warmth of the outside for several more moments before he finally said, “Sirius said you and my parents and him and Remus were all part of the court together when… when the uprising happened.”

“Who are your parents?” he asked, dreading the answer that he knew was coming.  These eyes… that hair… how did he not see it before? Not even the request for Sirius’ freedom had given him a clue.

“Lily and James.  Sirius said they were at court with you when everything happened… I want to know what happened.”

“James’ son.” Severus rolled his eyes heavenward.  “Lily, my friend. You’re laughing at me right now, aren’t you?”  Then he looked over at Harry, “Are you sure you don’t want to back out?  You’re free to go.”

“Oh no, you’re stuck with me now.”  A grin, and then a frown. “You really need to tell me what happened with the uprisings. I know enough to get me in trouble, but not enough to know the truth.”

He’d been dreading discussing the war with him.  “Harry…” he said gently. It surprised him. He didn’t do gentle.

“Cut the crap, Severus,” Harry said with clenched teeth. “I know what they taught us in school.  I know about the alliance. I know that my parents’ murderer has never been brought to justice.”

Severus sighed.  “It's complicated,” he said quietly.  “In the beginning, Tom Riddle seemed a good man. He was standing up for the rights of people.  For the peasants. Or so we all thought.” Severus looked away. “In the beginning I thought he was a good enough man that I followed his leads and joined his order.”

He could feel Harry recoil from his side. “I’m not proud of myself, Harry,” he said.  “I’m not proud of the things I did or the things I said during that time.” He looked off into the distance for a long moment. “What you _ need  _ to know is that he was not royalty.  He spoke like the gentry, moved in our circles and he knew how to show us that we would get anything we ever wanted… and for some of us, who believed he could make the world a better place, he told us he would make everything better for everyone.

“Your mother and I grew up in the same circles of those close enough to the gentry to see them and wish we were there, but not close enough to be involved.”  He swallowed.“Then she met James while we were in school, and I was picked up by Lord Riddle to be groomed for a prominent Lordship based around my mother’s line.  She came from a line of princes, though not of the current King’s bloodline.”

“Wait wait-”  Harry interrupted him, “you mean you’re  _ actually _ royalty?  You’re not just a self made king, you really are a Royal?  Well, damn.”

Severus smiled at him indulgently. “All royals are self-made.”

Harry leveled a  _ look _ at him that Severus could feel even through the goggles. “Uh huh.”

“Well.  Yes. I am really Royalty.  That’s the only reason I was able to take the throne when we drove Riddle out of the Kingdom.”

“Well?”

“Well what?”

Harry made a rude noise. “How did you drive him out?”

“It was Lily who first saw what was happening.  She saw through the promises, through what he had already done.  He had repealed several unpopular declarations of the previous King’s. But more often than not he started to break most of his big promises… things that would keep us safe.  Better walls, more military presence, that kind of thing.

“She first went to James.”  Severus sighed. “James grew up in this world.  Your father was… blind in some respects and we detested each other, but he was a good man, in the end.  Lily went to him first and he brushed off her concerns and tried to convince her it was just the way things had to be.

“Then she came to me.  We grew up in similar conditions. I opened that lovely school you went to myself after I ascended the throne. She and I went to a very different school until the start of all this and we grew up very poorly.  So when she told me what was happening it took less time to convince me of what was happening and I turned into a spy for her and for Albus.”

“So did my dad ever come around?”

“James eventually did.  It took us bringing your werewolf friend Remus into the picture, along with Sirius.  Sirius grew up in this world too, but he hated it and knew he could show James what was happening… and what the new laws were going to do to Remus.

“After we brought him around, we plotted in secret.  Eventually, we had convinced enough of the Generals and the military that we were the better option than the megalomaniac on the throne.” Severus sighed. “Wormtail, a friend of your parents, betrayed them and led to their deaths.  I didn’t get there in time to save them and Sirius was the only one seen leaving after the attacks on them. He took you with him.

“James told me that I needed to assume the mantle before he died.  Lily told me who betrayed them.” He put his head in his hands and sighed.  “I am  _ sorry _ that it took me so long to get your Godfather freed, Harry.  I should have done it a lot sooner.”

He felt Harry’s hand on his shoulder and he leaned into the touch. “Don’t beat yourself up about that,” he said softly.  “He’s free now, that’s all that matters. He will be able to get a job, live his life, and he won’t have to live in the abandoned church anymore.”

“He is free to move into the castle.” Severus struggled to get the words out.  “Though he treated me worse than James did, I would not begrudge his presence here and his help when I finally make war on Riddle.”

“War?”  Harry jerked away from him. 

“Yes.  The man is a monster and he needs to be stamped out once and for all.”  Severus sighed. “But that is neither here nor there at the moment. For now all I want to concentrate is my impending wedding.”  

“You won’t forget your promise?”

“You are your own man,” Severus replied. “I would never cage you or do anything to you without your express permission.”  He looked off into the distance again. “I have already had some… discreet individuals in my employ set up your own bed in my chambers so that you won’t have to sleep in the same bed until you are ready.”

“What if I’m never ready?”

“Then that’s fine too.” Severus look back at him. “We go at your pace.”

Harry was quiet for a long time.  Then he said, in a very small voice, “Tell me more about my parents.”

Severus smiled.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is so late, my Beta got super busy!

Harry pulled on a pair of tight black leather gloves, new ones, that he had stitched his sticking rune onto the finger of each one.  He reached into a box under the floorboards at the edge of the pillows that made his bed and flipped through a few pages of his hand-made notebook, checking and double checking each stitch to make sure nothing was out of place.

If it was, he’d end up on the floor and not on the archway like he was supposed to be.

He grabbed the soft slippers he usually wore while burgling and fixed some of the stitching on the sole. The slashes through the circle were a little cattywampus so he picked each stitch out by hand before reapplying the embroidery.

Sitting back against the wall, Harry sighed and wiped some sweat from his forehead.  Everything had to be perfect. The invisibility rune he’d created the night he got caught had passed its test with flying colors that day in the throne room.

His lips twitched in a soft smile.  He would relish the look of surprise on that aristocratic face for a long time.  After taking a deep breath Harry pinned his cloak closed and pulled the hood up.  He settled the goggles over his eyes and, with a surge of will, activated the runes.

The notebook and the library book on the floor glowed in the spell sight from his goggles.  He could see the soft glow emanating from his own form, proof the invisibility was working. 

No time to be nervous as a bell tolled out the hour.  He needed to leave now, or he was going to be late.  Harry grabbed a bag with an enlargement rune stitched in it and stuffed it into a pocket.

Time to go.

One deep breath later and Harry was down the ladder and out the front door of the cathedral.  He ran unseen through the streets of the city, dodging around anyone who wasn’t going to the ceremony today.  Instead of inside the chapel, the ceremony was taking place on the grounds with Severus and the officiator standing under a stone archway.

When Harry arrived, he took in the scene at a quick glance.  Everyone at the chapel sat in the places Ron had said they would be.  Minor noble houses in the back, major noble houses in the front, guards off to the side, and a huge throng of people gathered around the chapel grounds.

The bells tolled again and he grinned as the guests started getting restless.  He kept and ear out and listened to the whispered conversations as he slipped in and out of their ranks, pilfering everything from their pockets.

The minor houses all had pouches of coins on them, embroidered with their seals and names.  Harry dropped all of them into his bag, the enlargement rune making the inside of the bag bigger than the outside.  He especially grabbed anything that glowed in his spell sight as that meant it had anti-thief charms on them.  Using his cancellation rune he destroyed the magic on each and every one of the items before he tossed them in his bag.

“Is he even going to be here?”

“Why hasn’t he shown up?”

“Is this all an elaborate joke?”

“I tell you, if Snape didn’t have royal blood in him we wouldn’t be putting up with this at all.”

“Oh?  So what if he does?  We can take our city back, can’t we?  Get rid of this pretender and his theatrics?”

Harry narrowed his eyes at the sound of that and took in the face of the woman whispering.  She had wild black hair in loose ringlets and a haughty expression.  That nose of hers reminded him of Sirius’s.  Her eyes were dark and angry and her thin lips and strong jaw made her stick out even more.  She would need to be watched.  Treason was a bit different than the other muttered conversations.

A rumble of impatience near the front where the major nobles stood around captured Harry’s attention and he went back to his task, watching the guards as he did so.  Ron stood with his arms crossed next to his father, in front of the other guards.  Arthur looked vaguely uncomfortable, while Ron’s pleased smirk was telegraphed for the whole room to see.

The major houses he hit wore their wealth in jewelry and clothing.  Jewelry was a bit tricky to remove, but he managed to make off with a decent stash of earrings, rings, and bracelets.  The clothes he would have to leave behind.  People wouldn’t notice a hatpin here or a cloak pin there, but actual hats and cloaks?  He would certainly be discovered though he was sorely tempted by a few with ostentatious feathers on them.

Guards were going to be interesting, at least until he got used to pickpocketing men encased in steel.  Ron was easy.  He pilfered everything Ron had on him, from his weapons to the ring for Hermione. Harry stayed away from Arthur and in after a careful test of an unknown guard, picked the pockets of each and every one of the them in attendance.

With all the the belongings safely stored in his bag, he quickly climbed up the archway and dangled from the top of it.  Had he been right side up, it would have looked like he was crouching with his hands pressed to the ground.  As it was, the sticking runes on his feet and fingers kept him attached to the middle of the arch.  A brief surge of will to release the runes on his cloak and goggles later, and he found all the gasps of shock much to his liking as he surveyed the crowd upside down. Harry waved to all of them with a cheeky grin before he released the runes on his clothing and dropped to the floor.  “My Lord.”

“Ah, my beloved thief, how good of you to join us for your wedding.”  Severus drawled, the sparkle of amusement in his black eyes.

“Well,” Harry started, “I’m late because I was considering not coming at all, but then I remembered how much fun this would be.”  Then he dumped his bag out on the altar, sounds of alarm and swearing music to his ears.

“Albus, do you see this?”  Severus murmured to the old man behind the altar.

“That is a lot of items you have there young man,” Albus responded, “None of it yours, correct?”

Harry’s gleeful grin was all the answer he gave.

The crowd surrounded them surged forward, intent on taking their things back when the armored wall of guards stepped into place.  “No further,”  Arthur said mildly.  “This is a wedding ceremony, please do not make this an event of bloodshed.”

“But he stole our things!”  someone in the back shouted.

“Yes.” Albus cleared his throat.  “He did steal your things, and you are free to collect them after the ceremony.  It’s getting late, and I’d like to get to bed at a decent hour tonight.” He chuckled when it seemed no one else would.

 “Very well, then.”  He turned to Severus and Harry. “Do either of you have prepared speeches, or would you like me to take the traditional role?”

“I’ve got a speech,” Severus said, sweating visibly and wringing his hands.  “I even have it memorized.”  He looked over at Albus, licked his lips and then turned back to Harry.

“Are you sure about that?”  Harry asked mildly.  “You seem to be having some trouble.”

The glare Severus leveled at him was worth the sass.  “Yes.  I am sure.”  He cleared his throat.

“When I first saw you, you were sitting on top of a roof, looking out over the city.  Your goggles were off, your hair loose.  I thought in that moment that I had never seen another human being as beautiful as you were, framed by that sunset.

The second time I saw you, my guards were chasing you out of the kitchens through my gardens.  I’ve kept tabs on you where I could over the years, but to get to talk with you was a dream I never thought I would be able to realize until a few nights ago.

I laid a trap that I knew you would not be able to resist, threw some bait at you once I had you still enough to talk with, and since then you have shown me that the funny and courageous man I thought I saw, is more courageous than I ever thought. You are remarkable.  Extraordinary.  Beneath the mask of the Thief is an incredibly intelligent and compassionate man.

I wish I could turn back time and bring your family back from the war.  I’d love to be able to thank them and tell them how wonderful you are.  From this point forwards, your happiness is all that matters to me.  I want you to be healthy, happy, and,”  Now Severus choked, “and if that means that you don’t want to be here, to be a part of this then I don’t want you to feel bound to be here.  If you want to disappear and leave then I’m not going to stop you.”  He held his hands out for Harry to take.

Harry eyed those slim hands for a moment, drawing the tension out for as long as he felt appropriate before he reached out and took Severus’s hands in his.

“Brat,”  Severus muttered.

“Of course,”  he replied.  “That was a very pretty speech,” he raised his voice to carry.  “I don’t have anything nearly as pretty to say back to you though.  I was angry when you caught me in your throne room.  All my careful planning to use that chest of jewels to donate to the school house you built had gone to waste. You ruined a very profitable evening for me, Severus.

But in the end, I suppose that doesn’t matter anymore, does it?  I have you, I have this castle, and I have your support to make the dreams of the common people a reality.” he leaned up to whisper at Severus, “I can bend your ear any time I need to when something needs to change.” Then he dropped back to his feet and continued.  “One day… One day I may feel the same way about you.  One day I might return the feelings that led you to me.  We’ll have to see though.  I’m not one for being bound, Severus.  You may have me now, but who’s to say if it will last that long?”  Harry laughed, “Your people are my people, Severus.  We can take care of them, and each other, together.  I know these aren’t traditional vows, but I will care for you as a husband and a consort.  I vow to treat you as you treat me.  I vow to…” he trailed off and cocked his head to the side, “I vow to cause mischief in your life, wherever I go!” And with that, he surged forward and planted a chaste kiss on Severus’s lips.

Albus laughed at the poleaxed expression on his King’s face before announcing, “By my decree you are now wed as one!”

Harry turned to wave at the crowd before he disappeared to Severus’s uproarious laughter.


End file.
